A dance in the Abyss
by Nine-TailedSandwichMaster
Summary: Being stuck in a dumpy apartment at six years of age never sat right with him. Ever since he got dumped on own he has been driven. Level headed and cool tempered. But the price for power is innocence.


**Disclaimer: I do not Own Naruto.**

I sat at the flimsy thrice decade old table in the middle of my ratty apartment, honestly! This place was more accommodatable to the vermin that frequently made nests in the walls and on one occasion the interior of my mattress. Really? Who would stick a budding youth all of six years old into a place like this? What was the Hokage thinking? I realize how much i'm loathed here, I see the abysmal stares and hear the hushed murmurings of the local citizenry. For Kami sake! I have been hounded through the back alleyways like a fox hunt.

I know just how much this village wants me gone but i refuse to give them the satisfaction. The only bright side to this week is that the academy starts soon. My first year, my first steps to become a ninja. A real ninja, charged with the protection of these people, this village. Do they deserve it? No, certainly not. But i'm not doing it for them. If anything i'm doing it in spite of them. They think im trash? A blight on the fair name of Konoha? I'll show them all. There will come a time when all that stand between them and certain destruction is me! And I'll revel in their pleas. i'll cast a gloating eye on them because they will fully know the extent of my power and and they will know i'm their last hope. The only question is, will i fight for them? I can't give an answer now. i dont know the future. I'll cross that bridge when it comes. But for now I'll continue training.

I know I'll pass the four years of school. I spent so long teaching myself what no one else would. How to read and write, how to throw kunai and shuriken. I scuffled through the academy dumpsters long ago and forced myself through the boring text of the the books i found there. "An Academy Guide to Combat tactics and Stealth" "Basic Weapons: a how to guide" and "Konoha: a history". There were other books too but most were mundane and did not truly apply to what I needed to know, but I read them anyway.

I also spent years pounding myself into the dirt with Taijutsu and ninjutsu practice. Genjutsu was simply beyond me. My chakra control was abysmal and no matter how much i trained to control it better nothing seemed to work so i shelved it until i could find another way around it. i was confident i was at a Grade 3 academy level. and in one week i would show everyone i wasn't as worthless as the whisperers said. I just couldn't wait.

Preparations were needed though. The only way i would receive fair treatment is if no one knew who i was. at least my hope was they wouldn't. But i was taking precautions. Looking to my right at the open box next to me where the things i needed. Most of what was in there was taken from the local dump and repaired by my inexperienced hands. A tattered cloak and faded black bandana...well more grey then black now. A white bone mask with slitted eyes and a offputting smile carved near the mouth for easy breathing. Black pants in bad disrepair. All of which were pieced back together in the uneven jerky stitching my small hands could manage. At the bottom where the old blunt refuse Kunai and Shuriken pack i found filled with the once rusty and blunt Kunai and Shuriken. Reviving those was an interesting experience. sneaking into a closed weapons shop was difficult for my height and know how, luckily the owners where civilian so fear of being caught wasn't an issue, getting them sharpened right was. The blade on the Kunai were wavy and uneven. I had gotten the hang of it when it came time to sharpen the Shuriken so those werent too badly done.

Standing up i stepped into the items and observed myself in a broken mirror. The light outside was fading fast so i only had a small window of time to properly see myself do to the fact that the landlord refused to furnish me with electricity.

All in all my reflection stared back at me, the grotesque mask im sure would haunt the other students. My appearance looked like a wraith out of the old story books i would use to put myself to sleep. Now that i think about it i like that name. Wraith. Ill use that instead of my own name and i'm sure the hokage wouldn't mind once i explained why he was signing the entrance papers for a boy named Wraith dressed in an offsetting wardrobe. That will do fine.

Removing my current clothes and slipping into bed I was ready for the day so close yet so far away. Sleep overtook me and and all was oblivion.

-Time Skip-

An overcast sky threatening rain is what i woke up to. A perfect weather condition to match my mood. Today was the day, first I needed to see the hokage to sign my papers then i would be off to the academy. Taking out my box and slipping into the clothes followed by eating a quick breakfast of whatever had not fermented in my broken down refrigerator and I left through the back window. This is a common occurrence for me because there was usually a fifty fifty chance i would be greeted with a flying beer bottle should i choose to use my own front door. Using the stealth i had taught myself and ghosting through the alleys in a cloud of fog the trek to the Hokage Tower was underway. That was a useful little jutsu though, i had found it in a tattered scroll tucked behind the Ninja only Bar two streets down from me. Using chakra to heat the ground around me i could produce a thick fog, and the best part of it was i didn't need any chakra control. So as far as i knew i looked all that much more like my adopted name. A Wraith in the dark allies.

It only took me fifteen minutes to reach the back door to the central hub of Konoha. damn my chakra control. how much easier would it be to scale the side of the building and reach Hokage-sama's window. Though on second though it's a good thing i did not. im not to sure ANBU would like a dark clad masked man heading to the hokage's window via wall walking all the while covered in fog. Though i thought it would look cool so i think i'll try and keep the fog flowing.

I entered and made my way to the secretary who sat behind a large wooden desk in the far corner, right next to the stairs that lead up, No one would be getting passed her without checking in.

"Im here to see Hokage-sama," My voice was barely above a whisper and i tried to keep my tone low and gravely, as much as a prepubescent could. "I have an appointment"

She looked startled to find me there but i kept up my gaze at her and she shifted through the appointment book all the while tossing rather interesting looks at me.

Finally she found the appropriate place and nodded. "You can go up. He's ready for you." I thanked her and made my way up the stairs to our leaders office where i gave three sharp raps on the oaken door.

"come in" his elderly voice still held all the power of the strongest shinobi in Hi no Kuni. Pushing open the door slightly i slid in as if i were infiltrating a particularly hostile environment.

"Naruto! what in kami's name are you wearing!?" was his slightly taken aback words. He must have picked up on the feel of my Chakra, otherwise he couldnt have know it was me.

"I came so you could sign my papers Hokage-sama. And i'm wearing this to keep the villagers off my back. They can't hate me if they don't know it's me." His face sank when i said that. He knew what they thought of me and was powerless to stop it. He hated that, i knew and i respected him for it. "As much as it saddens me, your right. Alright Naruto hand me your papers."

I did so and he took a moment to review them. "Wraith? an interesting choice, i dare say you look the part!" His tone had an amused quality to it so i breathed easier. I thought i would have had to put up a bit of a fight to get him to allow it, though thats a moot point now. He signed it and wished me luck in the coming years, something i thanked him for and truly meant it. Well wishes were not a very common occurrence, more like less then rare, so i cherished it deeply.

Quickly saying goodbye and I made my way back outside, this time using the main road. Another five minutes saw me to the door of the Academy. i had already procured and memorized the map of the building so for all intents and purposes i knew this place like the back of my hand before ever my foot made it past the doorway. Down the hallway and a right followed by a quick left brought me to room 1-B, my classroom for the next few years. Drawing a breath i brought myself deep into character.

This was a rowdy bunch indeed, there was a boy with wild brown hair pestering a young black haired lady with white eyes. Over in the far corner a rather moody child sat next to a window doing his level best to ignore the crowd of young ladies doing their level best to garner his attention, the most pronounced of them being a pink haired girl with a shrill voice and a platinum blonde who though slightly less shrill was matching the pinkette in volume. In the back there slept a boy with hair tied back in a spiky ponytail and a rather large boy next to him. in the back corner away from everyone else there was a boy with sunglasses and a high collared shirt.

The room went silent when fog began creeping under the door and when something walked through it the room became fully void of sound. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Looking at them through the eyes of my mask i wordlessly moved to the darkest corner, which was only occupied by the boy with the glasses. Taking my seat next to him and the wait for the Sensei was on.

They all continued to blatantly stare at me before the wild boy in a fit of bravado called out. "What the hell are you! mass murderer?" he laughed at his own joke, thinking his foolish words placed him at the top of the pack so to speak. I did nothing, my gaze never wavering and my body stock still. "Ha! you're so scared of me that you can't even respond! what a loser!" He began to cackle again and the others continued to stare. He began to break down a little as all i did was stare before i slowly got to my feet and made my way over. I sniffed a little and using my soft speech which i had used on the secretary earlier i spoke my piece. "I don't believe anyone would fear that which they could smell coming. Either you live in a kennel or you have an unhealthy attraction to dogs." silence, till a moment later when a whimpering bark came from within his coat before a small pup poked his head out. The other students lost it there and the class broke down into a chorus of laughter at the dog boys expense.

"Shut up!" he yelled at the class, "I'll beat all of you into the ground!" I smirked beneath my mask. "I doubt it, the weakest dog barks the loudest. Or so they say" His glare was withering, well at least maybe to the others but it was nothing compared to the glares of Konoha citizens.

I did nothing. Just returned the stare till our teacher, Iruka-sensei walked into the room and all was business. My classmates returned to their seats, well most of them. There was a clamoring of squawking females all vying for the only available seat next to the gloomy kid staring out the window. Eventually the pink haired girl won out and proudly took her place like a queen takes her throne. It was then that Iruka-Sensei cleared his throat for attention and he was given it.

"Alright class, I am Umino Iruka and i will be your Sensei for the duration of your time here. Now all of you have your papers in order i hope so please hand them to the person in from of you so i can collect them please." There was a great shuffling of papers as they where passed to the front where the Sensei took them. After returning to his podium he began. "Okay, great. now none of us know each other so i'm going to call out your name. When i do please raise your hand so i can put a face to these names. Now," Once his stack was neat Iruka-Sensei becan the roll call.

"Aburame Shino," The boy next to me raised his hand.

"Akamichi Choji" The overweight lad put his hand up.

"Haruno Sakura" It was the Pinkette this time.

"Hyuuga Hinata" The white eyed girl now.

"Inuzuka Kiba" The boisterous dog boy next.

"Nara Shikamaru" The sleeping boy remained with his head down, slight snoring could be heard before Choji reached over and shook him awake, His head came up and rubbing his eyes he sleepily declared his presence. a small outbreak of chuckling accompanied his mutter of "Mendokusai…" Once my classmates reined in their laughter Iruka-Sensei continued on.

"Uhhh, Wraith?" Calmly i put my hand in the air and i was once again flooded with silent stares of curiosity infused with slight discomfort. Iruka-Sensei brushed it off though, there were far more flamboyant ninja in our world and i'm sure he had seen some dressed in very...attentive clothing.

"Yamanaka Ino" This was the blonde one who instead of raising her hand replied with a cheerful hello.

"Alright, that's everyone our scar faced Sensei declared, "Now i want to get a handle on what you know so far so first we are going to start with Ninjutsu, i want everyone to write down a list of your basic knowledge of nin and genjutsu, after that i'll review it while you go to lunch. Once you're all back here we will be going outside for taijutsu evaluations." A lot of movement and pencil pushing later we were released to eat. Everyone headed outside and began forming groups before they dug in out in the courtyards. I however headed to the rooftop to eat in silence. I must admit, i was rather eager to finish so i could test my metal against my other classmates. After all, what good is theory without practical?

 **A/N: So usually i write in third person, this is my first attempt first person viewpoints and i would like some constructive criticism, though i wont mind if you stoke my ego a little, I hope you enjoyed and will Continue to Enjoy "In the Abyss of Chaos"**


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